From bulk wine producer to South Palatinate insider tip
Kleinfischlingen is located between Neustadt an der Weinstraße and Landau, nestled in the gentle hills of the Southern Wine Route — a municipality where viticulture has been documented since the year 772. For a long time, the potential of this location remained hidden: Harald Ellermann's business supplied its entire yield almost exclusively as bulk wine to cooperatives, without its own name on a single bottle. That changed in 2007 when Frank Spiegel — Harald Ellermann's stepson — joined the family business. To make the new beginning visible, the winery was renamed Ellermann-Spiegel. Starting with the 2008 vintage, Frank Spiegel began bottling and marketing an increasing portion of the harvest himself. Success was not long in coming: in the very first year, his wines found their way onto the lists of ambitious restaurants and Michelin-starred establishments throughout Germany.
Craftsmanship with a clear stance: "You have to like IT"
Frank Spiegel's educational path is the foundation upon which Ellermann-Spiegel stands today. After graduating from high school, he completed his apprenticeship as a winemaker at two of the most famous Palatinate addresses, the Knipser and Münzberg wineries, then studied viticulture and oenology at the Geisenheim University of Applied Sciences, and gained practical experience in the Wachau, Beaujolais, and Bordeaux. He brings this international perspective back to the regional level in Kleinfischlingen: the winery's vineyards stretch from Kleinfischlingen to Landau-Mörzheim and Duttweiler, on soils ranging from sandy to loamy-calcareous, giving the South Palatinate sun maximum effect.
In the cellar, Frank Spiegel relies on a deep understanding of the local terroir, careful hand-harvesting, and a vinification process that clearly brings out the character of the grape varieties without overwhelming them. His declared claim — "Dir muss ES schmecken" (ES for Ellermann-Spiegel, meaning "You have to like IT") — is more than just a catchy slogan. It stands for the conviction that wine does not have to be a status symbol, but an accessible, honest companion in everyday life as well as at the dinner table.
Clear white wines, independent cuvées, broad range of grape varieties
The Ellermann-Spiegel range consistently reflects the climatic possibilities of the Southern Palatinate. For white wines, the focus is on Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, and Chardonnay — clear, drinkable wines with fruit and substance, aged for freshness and directness. In addition, there are Sauvignon Blanc, Rieslaner, and Viognier as characterful single-varietal wines, as well as a broad spectrum of red wines: Pinot Noir, St. Laurent, Portugieser, and Syrah show how warm this corner of the Palatinate actually is. The quirkily named cuvées — Schnick-Schnack-Schnuck, Simsalabim, Tagtraum, Windrose — are not a marketing gimmick, but an expression of the winery's relaxed, seriously artisanal attitude: wines that are not overthought, but never sacrifice substance. Anyone who wants to experience the Palatinate between the Palatinate Forest and the Rhine plain in a glass, without having to dig deep into their pockets, is in the right place at Ellermann-Spiegel.
